School Police Officer Fired After Thefts

A Pasadena Unified School District police officer was fired Wednesday after authorities said a hidden video camera showed him rifling through desks and attempting to crack the safe of Pasadena High School while on duty over the weekend.

Officer Michael Babb, 38, had been arrested Tuesday night on suspicion of commercial burglary.

“He was on duty and in uniform stealing from the very school he was supposed to protect,” said Pasadena Police Lt. Keith Jones. “There had been several burglaries with no forced entry at the school, so a staff member set up a camera in the student business office.

“When he reviewed the tape he saw Officer Babb committing the burglary.”

Babb was being held on $15,000 bail late Wednesday when school officials announced his termination. They described him as a “temporary police officer” who had worked for the district for 18 months.

He was a sworn police officer and subject to a background check before hiring, they said.

The arrest is just the latest embarrassment for the school district’s 11-officer force. In March, Chief Jarado L. Blue was suspended with pay after school officials opened an investigation into allegations that he used a video camera to spy on female employees changing their clothes in a storage room.

Blue acknowledged testing the camera in the room on one occasion, according to school officials. Ironically, that camera, which sends pictures to a separate monitor, had been purchased by school police after break-ins at some schools.

Now Pasadena police say they will be examining whether those other break-ins are tied to Babb. Everything from office supplies to computer hardware was stolen from Pasadena High School offices.

Babb was captured on videotape shortly before 6 a.m. Sunday entering the student business office, an area off-limits even to campus police, Jones said.

Jones said Babb is also seen on the tape forcing open a door to an inner office, taking out a plastic bag and putting something in it.

Pasadena police served a search warrant at Babb’s home Tuesday night but would not reveal what was found.

Jones said the case will be submitted to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office for review because Babb was a public official. Prosecutors said charges could be filed as early as today.

Pasadena police said Babb had worked for another department before joining the Pasadena school police.

The Indio Police Department confirmed that a Michael Babb had worked for that agency .